Battle For Mirazis Book One: Darkness
by Zarkanofthecyclones
Summary: This is the first book in Battle For Mirazis, a trilogy of books written in a Bionicle-like universe. The story follows a group of beings named Zatoran as they and their new guardians fight against ancient evils, monsters and exiles returning for revenge.
1. Prologue

**Battle for Mirazis is a fantasy story set in a world that is similar to the Bionicle universe in many respects. However, unlike the majority of Bionicle fan-fiction, it is written as a stand- alone epic that can be read and understood completely by both fans of Bionicle and general readers. It contains no characters, locations, or creatures from the official storyline, and it is far different in its style. Rather than focusing mainly on action, the story is centered more on relationships between the characters, both friendly and unfriendly. It also grapples with moral and social issues that most readers will be able to understand and relate to – some major, and some minor.**

**Battle for Mirazis is rated T for violence and repeated uses of a variety of made-up cuss words. I am not one for graphic violence or lots of questionable content, as my main reason for writing is to tell stories that can be read by people of all ages. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first Book of Battle For Mirazis!**

"_It is time. It is time that we put the things of the past aside, and usher in a new reign. That is the way of Darkness – no one can stop it, for it does not really exist, but is an absence of something. Every defeat against the Light not only weakens it, but adds to our power and strength. They can push us back, and they can think they have found their place in the world, but we will always return, and then we shall show them the true balance of power. And, mark my words, by the time they have found the face of reality, they shall wish they too were absent from existence."_

**Battle for Mirazis**

**Book One:** **Darkness**

**Prologue**

Far away from any other civilization, the land of Mirazis rested neatly in the center of a vast, unexplored world. This land was both a tamed paradise and a savage shroud of danger, for, if one were to travel across its entire mass, they would find that it changed constantly as they ventured from east to west, and from north to south. A calm, lush valley rested in the center, covered in bright grasses and blue and green leaved trees. A jungle lied to the northwest, and a beautiful sandy peninsula lied to the southwest. But as one moved further away from the peaceful center of Mirazis, the land quickly became harsher and more desolate. Grass turned into dusty plains, dusty plains lead into mountains, and beyond the mountains one found twisted, lifeless deserts. And the ocean to the south was perhaps the greatest example of the contrasting climates in Mirazis. Its ever-changing waves went from gentle flows to raging, stormy tsunamis, which no being could ever hope to cross.

But by far, the most incredible feature of Mirazis was not truly in the land at all, but above it. On the top of the highest, northernmost mountain, a great stone fortress stood, surveying the entire land beyond its walls. It was brown and crimson in color, and spanned as tall as it was wide. Hundreds of small windows lined the sides, and four thin towers rose up from each corner. The entire fortress shined brightly in the sun, looking more like a great palace than a building of warfare.

Despite the pleasant architecture of the fortress, the sight of the building looming over the world for hundreds of miles may have appeared to an outsider as a sign that a great tyrannical rule had been thrust over this strange land. But, they would have been wrong, for the armored, majestic beings who lived there were fair, loving rulers. They called themselves the Acolytes, and together they formed a tight brotherhood that had not been broken in 10000 years. As the rulers of the land filled with beings called Zatoran and Rahi, they had been created by the Great Beings to watch over their world and protect it from any danger

But today, the Acolytes had something different on their mind. Or, at least, one of them did - and that being was Teradus, their leader. He had summoned the entire brotherhood for an emergency meeting, hoping that he would be able to adequately explain the situation that was at hand.

As the Acolytes all filed into a large, plain room and sat down around an exquisite ember table, the chief Acolyte looked sadly at his brothers and sisters. They had been ruling Mirazis for 10000 years, and yet today it felt as if it had been mere months. His mind wandered into deep thought, which was laced with grief and anger at the reality of what he had gathered his fellow Acolytes together for.

A black and silver Acolyte sitting near Teradus cleared his throat. Realizing that he had been wasting time, the leader of the Acolytes took a deep breath and sighed. His brown-armored figure sagged in his seat, and his eyes were heavy with depression.

"My brothers and sisters," Teradus began, "our time is drawing to a close. The prophecy Yiitridu discovered is coming to pass, and we soon shall be no more."

The thin, pointy Acolyte two seats down sighed in frustration. Her name was Lukamo – and she was known throughout the brotherhood as a fierce warrior with a skeptical mind. "Teradus," she said, "I know I have said this a dozen times already –"

"15, actually," Teradus corrected her.

"Alright, 15 times," she replied harshly, twitching her purple and silver armor in annoyance. "The point is that you keep going on and on about the exact same things. This is the third emergency meeting you've called us to, and if my suspicions are right, it will end just like the first two."

"Perhaps," Teradus replied. "But perhaps not, if you and the others are finally willing to listen."

Lukamo frowned. "What is the point of listening if you have given us no real proof to back up your concerns?" she retorted. "This ancient carving that Yiitridu has studied may supposedly carry a dire prophecy about our future, but he has been wrong in the past with his translations. Besides, that ancient wall text he supposedly deciphered is older than anything we've ever seen before. How can we be sure that he has even given us a good general idea of what was written on it?"

"She has a point, despite the fact that I hate agreeing with Lukamo," a stocky, green and gold Acolyte named Korzik said. "I usually trust Yiitridu's work – he's far better than any of us at translating – but the fact remains that we are dealing with things that may be beyond our skills. You yourself said that this carving was probably created by the Great Beings themselves – and their language is one of the most incomprehensible dialects known to our covenant. We don't even have a clue what some of the symbols in their language actually mean!"

A murmur of agreements rang throughout the chamber. Teradus sighed again, and his body sagged even further into his throne. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, my fellow Acolytes. I fear that I have no other choice, however."

"No other choice about what?" Lukamo asked angrily.

"No other choice but to tell you the truth," Teradus replied. "And the truth is, that I have not told you everything about this carving. Yiitridu, I believe it is best that you explain."

Yiitridu, a yellow-armored Acolyte holding a round-tipped staff, cleared his throat. "Well, all of you know that I personally translated the carving. It was a most complicated task, and not one for the faint of heart."

Several of the beings in the room sighed. Being the chief scribe of the Acolytes, Yiitridu possessed many great qualities, but modesty was certainly not one of them.

"What none of you realize," Yiitridu continued, "is that… well… I didn't completely… do the translation on my own. Yes, I had help."

Lukamo laughed coldly. "So, you finally couldn't do a translating job on your own, scholar," she said sarcastically. "Care to tell us all who was your partner?"

"He was my _assistant_, Lukamo," Yiitridu replied. "And for your information, you were just arguing with him a minute ago."

Lukamo stopped midway through replying. All the other Acolytes looked at Teradus, who smiled sadly. "Yes, I was the assistant, brothers, as hard as it is for Yiitridu to admit it."

Lukamo's face twisted into a snarl. "Is this some kind of joke, Teradus?" she asked angrily. "All of us here know that you are the last place any of us would ask for help in a situation like this. You yourself have admitted countless times that you despise translating – everyone knows you consider writings of the past to be insignificant to the future!"

"Yes, normally I would agree with everything you said, Lukamo," Teradus replied. "However, the reason that I decided to help Yiitridu explains all that and more." Folding his armored hands, Teradus uttered four words that sent a chill through the entire gathering. "I had a dream."

The resulting uproar was more than enough to shake the foundations of the chamber. "Blasphemy!" several of the Acolytes shouted, as they shook their fists in anger. Others were conversing between each other loudly, shocked and angered at what their leader had just said. Only Lukamo was silent, her face completely emotionless. With a great shriek, her pointed staff sent a sonic wave through the entire area, causing everyone in the chamber to quiet down. When all was silent, she began to speak.

"Teradus," she said, "I have known you for thousands of years, argued with you - even saved your life 200 years ago - and yet I can't believe what I'm hearing! Dreams are forsaken in this realm – they are a way for the Dark Forces to delude us! Do you know what this means? It means that you are now an apostate of the Acolyte ways!"

Teradus sighed again. "Yes, I know this is true – and I expected that you all would react with scorn. However, I know for sure that this dream was not a trick, nor a misunderstanding."

"And how do you plan to explain this to us?" Korzik asked, his words filled with rage.

"By showing you one simple shard of evidence," Teradus replied. Reaching into his armor, he pulled out a small piece of dull crystal.

"Is that…?" Lukamo said, her eyes wide open.

"Yes," Teradus answered. "This is a part of the fabled staff of Xun. You all know the legends about that object of power. It has been hidden away in our vaults for many millenniums, in a chamber which only I have access to. It gives all of us Acolytes our powers – and its dimming is a sign of the end of our covenant. I had suspected this for a while, but I could not bear to open the vault until a few hours ago, where I chipped off a piece of it to bring to you as proof of our coming demise. And, regrettably, I wish that I had acted sooner, for we have lost many valuable days because of my weakness."

No one spoke for a long time. A dreary air hung over the entire chamber, and all of the Acolytes had distraught looks on their faces. Many were still finding it hard to accept what Teradus had explained, but they knew deep down that it was pointless. All of their skepticism, all of their disbelief, it had all been misplaced, and soon they would suffer the consequences – along with all of Mirazis. For, without the Acolytes, the land would decay into complete chaos and anarchy, until it completely and utterly destroyed itself.

Finally, Korzik spoke. "What are we supposed to do?" he said quietly.

Lukamo slapped the hulking being. "You fool! There is nothing we can do! Without the power of the staff of Xun, we are all doomed! And once we are gone, the land of Mirazis will fall apart!"

"Not necessarily," Teradus interjected. Immediately, all of the Acolytes looked at him like he had grown a second head – something that, while not impossible in Mirazis, was a sign of madness.

"And how exactly do you plan to save our world, Teradus?" Lukamo asked, echoing the feelings of all the other Acolytes.

To the surprise of everyone, Teradus did not even show a hint of annoyance at Lukamo's snide remark. Instead, he folded his hands again and smiled. "Not me, Lukamo. Our successors. I propose that we create new beings to protect Mirazis after our passing."

For the second time that day, the entire room blazed into anger. The Acolytes had always been open to new ideas, but the idea Teradus was suggesting reeked of madness. If they could not survive to continue the rule over the land of Mirazis, then what creation of theirs would be even remotely suitable to take over their role?

"Are you insane?!" Lukamo screamed with all her might. "You propose leaving the world to untrained, unprepared, underpowered amateurs?! It's as if we were to replace an entire mountain with one small hill, or to plant a flower in the place of the tallest tree in Mirazis!"

It was at that point that Teradus's eyes flared into anger for the first time since the meeting had begun. "You fools!" he yelled. "This is the only choice we have, aside from leaving the world to decay! Is that what any of us want? Or would you all rather go down as failures?"

The roomed quickly calmed down, and the Acolytes looked at their leader nervously. Teradus rarely ever shouted, and when he did, it was a sign that everyone needed to listen to his words.

Finally, Korzik sighed. "He's right. He's completely right," he said. "We must do everything we can to keep Mirazis from dying – that is what the Great Beings would want us to do."

Slowly, all the other Acolytes nodded their heads – even Lukamo. Immediately after, she asked a simple question: "How many?"

"Six," Teradus replied. "One of each element. They shall be theirs to command, to use, and to protect Mirazis after we are gone."

"Always has great ideas, doesn't he?" an Acolyte named Poitara remarked.

Teradus smiled again. It was a sad smile, one heavy with the grief that they all soon would no longer exist. "More than just an idea, my friends. They shall be the last hope for our land, and we must do the best job possible in their creation."

Afterwards, the Acolytes filed out of the hall, ready to sacrifice the last of their energy to create the future guardians of their sacred world. Many of the beings were still uncertain – and others were deeply disturbed. One thing was certain, however - the land of Mirazis would never be the same.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Far below the Huyaza Mountains, the land of Mirazis was entering into the final season of the year. The normally green and blue leaves of the dirtbark and bristleleave trees were turning a dark purple, signaling the beginning of Tiora, or late fall. The Morog bears had gone into hibernation, leaving the Ulanu bulls to roam and graze freely across the southern plains. It was a peaceful time across the land, one that would aptly conclude the 10,000 year since the Acolytes began their rule.

As expected, the Zatoran were even busier than usual, preparing for the annual Harvest of the Acolytes to celebrate the occasion. Being the inhabitants of the sacred village that the rulers of Mirazis had established many years ago, the Zatoran were for the most part a hard working, morally upright race. They willingly labored every day, repairing and expanding the village, and were content with the life they had. Despite this, they valued rest highly as well, and the holidays that came every few months were a welcome event in the entire land. Since these special parts of the year all honored the Acolytes, the rulers of Mirazis were happy to allow the Zatoran to devote much time to preparing for them, and normal work almost entirely ceased during the days leading up to these events.

As the Harvest of the Acolytes approached, the Zatoran all were chipping in to ensure that the ten-thousandth celebration was more exciting and memorable than any previous event that had been held in the village. Craftsmen were preparing dozens upon dozens of tables and chairs, miners and architects were making stages and storehouses, and the rarely needed defense force was assisting with everything that they could. The most important event, the great feast, was receiving special attention. Twice as many villagers had been assigned to finding rations, and the gardeners were harvesting all their ripest plants. Mokar the cook and his assistant were especially busy, preparing all the gathered food into dish after dish of their most exquisite recipes.

Of course, the feast was only half of the Harvest. After everyone had had their fill of food, the events would begin. Every Zatoran who had any talent in the arts was performing in some way or another. Muzar the forager was leading a small band, Unar the guard was reciting a story he had written, and Olan the miner and Miro the scholar were going to act out an ancient Zatoran legend. With the huge array of talent that the village had within its population, nearly everyone was participating in one way or another.

Everyone, that is, except the Zatoran named Vieta. As the leader of the Defense Force, Vieta was known for being incredibly skilled in combat, as well as having a quick temper. However, besides those two aspects, Vieta really wasn't exactly the biggest standout in Zatoran culture. No, as she herself claimed, she was a simple being, who excelled in fighting and not much else. Her moment of fame always came at the Stardust Festival, which honored athletic skill as well as skill in craftsmanship. However, the Festival was not coming up again for 6 more months, and thus as usual Vieta would be watching everyone else show off their talents from the sidelines.

That was why, instead of preparing for any particular activity, Vieta was spending her time honing her combat skills at the weapons hut. Normally, she practiced with the other members of the defense force, but since most of the other guards were busy, her opponent that day was an automated combat drone that her mechanic friend Wudas had invented. The drone looked much like a Zatoran, in that it was made of metal, possessed a masklike head, and had a combination of four pointed legs and four gigantic arms. Zatoran also were mostly metallic as well, possessing few organic components besides interior organs, and they also wore masks over their unarmored faces. However, unlike the robotic invention that Vieta was about to face, Zatoran either had multiple legs, multiple arms, or just two large arms, instead of all three physical features. The combat drone had been engineered with all of the Zatoran traits in order to gain the advantages of each form. It would take a master at fighting to defeat it, and Vieta knew that she was in for a fierce battle.

Flipping a switch on the back to the "Offensive mode" and turning a dial to the highest level of artificial intelligence, Vieta backed away and prepared to fight. The drone's eye-like sensors lit up, and the machine charged. Screaming, the blue-armored Zatoran charged as well. She wielded a short, sickle-like blade in each of her four arms, slashing and stabbing in perfectly synchronized patterns. The drone blocked her moves with its four huge arms, deflecting her every attack and attempting to land some of its own offensive maneuvers.

The battle was getting nowhere, as Zatoran and machine alike matched each other's movements perfectly. However, Vieta knew that unlike the drone, she would eventually become tired. She had to find some way to defeat the machine. Quickly, an idea popped into her head. Luring the machine to a nearby dirtbark tree, she executed a backwards leap onto one of its lowest branches. Unable to react quickly enough, the machine punched the tree with considerable strength, shattering two of its hands against the incredibly hard bark.

Now that she had a slight advantage, Vieta knew it was time to act. She jumped down from the tree and faced the combat drone. Despite its damages, it was still set on the offensive mode, and being a machine, it had no choice but to obey that robotic command. It continued attacking Vieta, functioning only half as efficiently as it had before. Before long, Vieta had chopped off its other two hands with her weapons, and before it could react, she landed a swift hard kick into its metal chest. The drone flew into the side of the weapons hut and slumped down onto the ground, utterly destroyed.

"Not again!" a voice cried out from over the hill. In a mere second a four legged being with a narrow, long mask appeared at the top and rushed over to Vieta. It was Wudas, and Vieta saw that he was not happy.

"Just great," the red-armored Zatoran said, as he walked over to the remains of the drone. "This is the third time you've totally destroyed the combat drone I made for you to practice on." He sighed as he sifted through the broken machinery parts, looking for any material that wasn't broken. "Can't you be a little more gentle, Vieta?"

"Gentle? GENTLE?" Vieta exclaimed. "Wudas, I am studying the great fighting arts of the Acolytes, not some silly Zatoran marching routine! There is no way in all of Mirazis that I can be any less gentle – in fact, I should probably be even fiercer! How can you even suggest that I -"

"Okay, okay!" Wudas interjected. "I'm sorry that I asked. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going off to get some stronger protanium for a new drone." With another sigh, he scurried away on his pointed legs.

Vieta frowned, and started to walk back towards the weapons hut. _I probably shouldn't have been so harsh_, she thought. _But of what use is a target drone if I can't go all out on it? Then again, Wudas keeps repairing them for me – and this is the first time he's ever complained._

With a groan of frustration, Vieta ran up the hill and followed Wudas. When she caught up to him, he was lugging a sack of scrap metal over to a table inside his machine shop. "Wudas, I'm sorry!" she said to him quickly.

"Hey, it's okay, Vieta," Wudas replied. "I just need to make them more resistant to attacks, it seems. Anyway, how are _you_ doing?"

"Fine, I guess," Vieta said. "I'm just a little frustrated that I can't contribute anything to the festival." She sighed. "Speaking of which, I heard from Miro that you were going to be performing as well. What exactly is it that you are planning to do?"

Wudas smiled. "I'm going to be reciting a few poems that I've been working on in my spare time."

Vieta looked at him, surprised at the answer the mechanic had given her. "Really?" she asked. "I never thought writing was your thing. I had always assumed that you spent all your free time making new inventions."

"Well, in a way, I am," Wudas replied. "Writing is really just another kind of engineering to me. You work with hundreds of different, unique objects, all of which can fit together in more ways that anyone can count. Putting the words together is like assembling a brand new machine – it takes a lot of time and refinement, and sometimes even requires starting all over. The only real difference is that you're not working with physical matter."

Vieta did not reply. Wudas looked at her suspiciously, and waved his hand over her face. When she did not react, he began calling her name. "Vieta," he said quietly, "are you there?"

In a flash, Vieta realized that she had been ignoring her friend. "Oh… I'm sorry Wudas," she said quietly. "I was just lost in thought, I guess."

Wudas raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Vieta?" he asked. "What's with you lately?"

"I… I don't know," Vieta replied. Her fingers twitched as she spoke the words, which always meant that she was thinking hard. "There's just… just something I've been feeling lately. I'm… afraid. Afraid for this village – for all my friends – for everything! I'm worried that something is going to happen, Wudas, and that it's going to happen very soon."

Wudas was surprised. Vieta had never been the one to question the Zatoran's current way of life. Even during the great struggle between the ghastly creatures known as Ghoulbiters 77 years ago, she had remained strong and motivated, and her courage and skill at leading had led them to victory. But now, in a time of peace, she was worrying about the safety of the village? It made no sense! Still, Vieta had always had very good hunches, and Wudas could tell that she had been thinking about this for a very long time.

Smiling, the red mechanic put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look, Vieta, I know how you feel," he said. "We've all been unsure of things before – it's the way of life. Fortunately, we don't have to worry. Everything's going to be fine as long as the Acolytes are watching over this land."

Vieta did not return the smile. "Maybe," she replied, "except, that that's what I'm worried about the most. We're capable beings, but we've also relied on the Acolytes' protection for all our lives. We've let them defend us against the greatest threats to Mirazis, and we've always trusted in their power over evil." She paused for a moment, and looked Wudas in the face. "But, what if that all suddenly stopped? What if something were to happen to the Acolytes, and we were forced to live on our own? How would we then survive?"

Wudas stopped midway into replying. He stood there silently, fiddling with a small gear. Only three words came out of his mouth after that: "I don't know."

* * *

In another part of Vorza, the three-legged Zatoran named Miro was doing his usual work. Being the only scholar in the entire village, his job of learning more about the Acolytes and translating their language was among the most important in the village. So important, in fact, that it made up a whole pillar of society. Once a simple forager, he had always longed for a more important and knowledgeable job. When he was chosen many years ago to follow in the footsteps of the previous scholar, he had leaped for joy, and he settled into his new position with gladness and excitement.

But, despite the great importance of his job, the Harvest of the Acolytes still offered Miro a break from the hard work – a break that he was supposed to be using to prepare for a play that he and Olan were going to perform. Miro was in charge of the special effects, which he would accomplish with magic that he had been studying. The Acolytes had perfected a special form of magical control, and it had been only recently discovered that Zatoran could also harness it – providing that they carried a special book containing part of the Acolytes' power. Miro had been practicing it for years now, but he had never used it for any real purpose. The Harvest would finally give him a chance to give his training a purpose, even it if was only for entertainment.

That is, if he could actually get his mind on his task. For, at the moment, he was lost in thought, and it seemed that nothing would divert his attention.

"Miro, come on," Olan the miner said, as he called from outside his friend's hut. "You don't want this play to be a disaster, do you?"

"I know, I know!" Miro yelled back. "I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

"You said that 5 minutes ago" Olan replied. "And 10 minutes ago, and 15-"

Miro sighed. Olan was one of the friendliest Zatoran in the entire village, but even his cheerful reminders could get on a being's nerves. "Yes, I'm aware of that!" the scholar called back, his green armor twitching with impatience. "But our play can wait! I may be on to something that could affect all of us!"

Olan laughed. "Yes of course, Miro!" he replied. "Just don't procrastinate too long, okay?" Turning around, he lumbered off to the stage that Turiz and his crew of builders had just finished.

Miro sighed again. Inside, he knew he was letting his friend down, but at the same time his actions didn't bother him at all. For weeks, he had been studying a specific book that he had overlooked before, and up until now it had been almost completely incomprehensible. But a day earlier, a lucky hunch had given him new understanding of the ancient book, and the revelations that had come with this had shocked him.

Flipping to a marked section of the book, Miro began to read through the ancient prophecies written on the page. "Yes, the east star sets over the Huyaza mountains, and that refers to passage 73," he muttered to himself. "Now, according to the passage after that, the stone will warrant the judgment of evil across the path – but only if the dark forces annihilate the crystal of… OF WHAT?"

Suddenly, it all became clear to him. "Xun!" he exclaimed. "Yes, now I know what that means! Xun is the name for the crystal in the staff of the Acolytes – a legendary object that gives power to their members! Without the power, they shall disappear from existence! THAT'S IT!"

Swiping another book off his shelf, Miro quickly flipped the pages to a chapter marked by a symbol that looked like two stylized E's connected in the middle. "Yes, this is what was prophesized years ago," he said to himself. "I never made the connection before, but now it all makes sense. This passage warns of the coming of a great evil that will be awakened after the death of the Acolytes! An evil that will stop at nothing until Mirazis is destroyed!"

The words of the book both excited him and stung him. The prophecy was dire, yes, but now that he had discovered the meaning, he could warn the village before it came to pass! Quickly, Miro picked up the two books and rushed out of his hut. "Thank the Acolytes I was able to finally figure this out. I have to get this info to everyone before….

Suddenly, he grabbed his chest in pain. He couldn't breathe, and his muscles were cold as ice. "Nooooo, it's tooooo laaaateeee," he gasped. Then he collapsed and fell unconscious.

* * *

Across the village, the Zatoran all stopped what they were doing, and their hearts rang with pain at the reality of what had happened. Weapons, tools, and other objects dropped from their hands, and they bowed their heads in grief.

Out of all of the villagers, though, no one felt as badly as Vieta. She had returned to the weapons hut and was meditating – something she had been doing a lot recently. Then without warning, her heart sank like a stone, and her mask felt as heavy as a brick. Her mind spun with shock as she realized that what she had worried about had come true.

"It's happened…." she said sadly, tears streaming down her mask. "They're gone."


End file.
